Impacts

Inevitably, domestic violence has consequences on women and children that are directly or indirectly exposed to it:

Immediate consequences while in the relationship, with short and long term consequences, as a result of suffering repeated forms of violence for many years.

Consequences are roughly the same for the majority of victims. However, the impacts of violence can be experienced in different ways depending on the person, according to previous life experiences, social support, her first response after an aggression, the intensity of the aggression, length of the violent relationship, etc.

Physical impact

Immediate consequences

  • Scratches
  • Bites
  • Bruises
  • Bone fractures
  • Burns
  • Etc.

Short and long term consequences

  • Abuse of medication, alcohol, drugs, etc.
  • Chronic fatigue
  • Asthma
  • Ulcers
  • Hypertension
  • Migraines
  • Panic attacks
  • Death
  • Suicide
  • State of constant stress
  • Etc.

Psychological impact

Immediate consequences

  • Feeling of helplessness
  • Confusion
  • Guilt
  • Humiliation
  • Feeling of repressed anger
  • Increased tolerance towards violence
  • Poor or negative self-image
  • Feeling of incompetence
  • Etc.

Short and long term consequences

  • Learned helplessness (victimisation)
  • Loss of self-esteem
  • Loss of self confidence
  • Inability to assert one's self
  • Depression
  • Post-traumatic stress
  • Various mental health issues (obsessive compulsive disorder, phobias, anxiety, etc.)
  • Etc.

Social impacts

Immediate consequences

  • Decrease in social and family support
  • Job loss
  • Money loss
  • Etc.

Short and long term consequences

  • Isolation
  • Impoverishment or debts
  • Break-up with  family members
  • Issues with institutions (social welfare, justice system, immigration, social services, etc.)
  • Threats of deportation for the sponsored immigrants
  • Child abduction
  • Etc.

Emotional impact

Immediate consequences

  • Fear
  • Shame
  • Guilt
  • Sadness
  • Doubt
  • Etc.

Sexual impact

Immediate consequences

  • Miscarriage
  • STI (sexually transmitted infections)
  • Wounds
  • Etc.

Short and long term consequences

  • Loss of libido or hyper sexualisation
  • Frigidity
  • Pain
  • Infertility
  • Vaginal or rectal irritation
  • Etc.